If you have even one piece of sterling silver jewelry in your jewelry collection, there’s a good chance that over time you’ve noticed a darkening of its color, ranging from yellow and reddish-brown to black and blue. This varnish layer forming on the surface of your jewelry is called tarnish. There’s good news though—tarnishing silver jewelry can be cleaned and we’re here to help give you the best way to clean your sterling silver at home.
Important Details About Sterling Silver
Durable and versatile, this metal is an easy addition to any collection and one of the most common jewelry materials. Unfortunately, sterling silver tarnishes easily, especially if it has been a while since you have worn that particular piece of silver jewelry. The toughness of sterling silver lends itself to being an alloy comprised of around 7.5% of another metal, consequently speeding up the rate of tarnish. Pure silver will tarnish at a slower rate, but you lose some of the durability that makes sterling silver such a great everyday choice for jewelry. Interestingly, your skin’s natural oils help clean your silver and prevent tarnish, meaning that wearing your jewelry regularly can help it stay shiny. How cool is that?
